"Today we end this campaign," said Hunter, according to an advance copy of his remarks he was scheduled to deliver later in the evening.

The California Republican, an outspoken proponent of cracking down on illegal immigration, did poorly in the Nevada GOP caucuses held earlier in the day.

"The Nevada caucuses reflecting only 2 percent of the vote for me," he said. "I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it's time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable."

Hunter wasn't as completely unqualified as most Congressmen - he had been a successful Mayor of San Diego, with a population greater than eleven states and the District of Columbia, and Chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee. His biggest problem was the lack of name/face recognition to establish a national base of support.

In case you were wondering why, for the last 25 years or so, any of the Sunday talk shows knew if they needed a last-minute guest, John Kerry would even fly in from Boston to do their show. After seeing his face on television so often for so long, many people just assumed he must know something.

IF Hunter wants to be President he needs to run for Governor of California first. That state needs someone as consistent as he is in order to turn it around. Alas, in California, his consistency is a liability, and why a experienced, conservative Californian runs for President out of the House of Representatives.